This invention provides, for a starting platform for one end of a swimming pool, an improved top having an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper surface is adapted to support both feet of a swimmer in a starting position, e.g., a starting position for a front crawl. The improved top is mountable at the lower surface to a base, stand, or pedestal, e.g., via screws or other fasteners. In a preferred embodiment, the improved top can be unitarily molded from an engineering polymer, such as polypropylene.
The upper surface defines an array of ribs and defines channels between the ribs. The ribs are configured so that, if improved top is mounted so that its upper surface slants downwardly from its back edge toward its front edge, each rib slants downwardly and laterally and each channel slants similarly to drain water from the upper surface downwardly and laterally. Preferably, at least some of the ribs are configured as chevrons, which point toward the back edge.
Preferably, along at least part of each lateral edge, the lower surface defines a trough, which facilitates grasping of said lateral edge. Preferably, along at least part of each lateral edge, the upper surface defines a trough, which facilitates grasping of said lateral edge and which is adapted to receive and to drain water received by at least some of the channels.
This invention also provides an improved starting platform comprising the improved top, as described above, which is mounted so that the upper surface slants downwardly from the back edge toward the front edge, so that each rib slants downwardly and laterally on each side of an imaginary line bisecting the upper surface between the lateral edges, and so that each channel slants similarly.